Righeira

Righeira
Righeira, c. 1983: Michael Righeira (left) and Johnson Righeira
Background information
Origin	Turin, Italy
Genres	Italo disco synth-pop new wave electronic Italo house
Years active	1983–1992 1999–2016
Labels	CGD RCA SAIFAM
Past members	Johnson Righeira Michael Righeira

Righeira were an Italian Italo disco duo, formed in Turin in 1983, that comprised Johnson Righeira (lead vocals and keyboards) and Michael Righeira (backing vocals, keyboards and harmonica). Originally rooted in the early stages of Italo disco music, Righeira's musical style evolved throughout their career, incorporating elements of synth-pop and new wave in their songs in innovative ways, later exploring music styles such as electronic music and regular pop.

The duo was formed after attending the Albert Einstein Scientific High School as schoolmates. Within the first months of their career, they signed with several record labels and released their debut album, Righeira (1983). With the release of the album, and the singles "Vamos a la playa" and "No tengo dinero", Righeira established their reputation as a modern dance duo.^[1] They scored another hit in the mid-1980s with the single "L'estate sta finendo", and won the Festivalbar singing competition in 1985. The duo's second album, Bambini Forever (1986), earned less success in public when it was released but included songs as "Italians a Go-Go", "Oasi in città" and "Innamoratissimo", with which they performed at the Sanremo Music Festival in 1986.

Righeira worked throughout the 1980s. Soon after the release of their third studio album, Uno, Zero, Centomila (1992), they broke up, and worked separately for seven years. Both singers produced music and pursued a new musical direction by which they were influenced by Eurodance, rock, reggae, and Italo house. In 1999, they were reunited and made a successful comeback by then recording and releasing music, embracing a more ironic and electronic image. The duo released re-recorded versions of some of their hit songs, including "Vamos a la playa" in 2001. Experimenting with their new image, they released their fourth album, Mondovisione (2007), gaining mixed success. After performing together for over 25 years, the duo broke up for the second time in 2016.

Righeira have released four studio albums along with several singles throughout their career, selling millions of records worldwide. The duo remain as one of the most progressive ones in the Italo disco genre, along with their producers La Bionda.^[2]